When applying for a patent, an inventor naturally wants to cast a net wide enough to cover not only what the inventor has actually done but also all variations that utilize the invention’s core innovation. A claim that is too wide, however, can run into resistance at the USPTO. A recent case between David Netzer and Shell Chemical regarding a process for the simultaneous production of ethylene and benzene illustrates how these two concerns can conflict with each other.
Date
September, 2016